Peanuts: Art vs Commerce, Round 1!

"I think what makes our licensing different from many others is the fact that our program is built upon characters who are figuratively alive-- they are continually growing and doing new things-- we're not simply stamping these characters on the sides of products just to sell the products. Every new thing that Snoopy does, or Charlie Brown does, becomes somehow an idea for a licensed product and it just seems to work. Snoopy is so versatile he just seems to be able to fit into any role and it just works. It's not that we're out to clutter the market with product. In fact anyone that says we're overdoing it is way off base because actually we are underdoing it. We could be turning out much more material than we do and there's no comparison between the amount of products that, say, Walt Disney Productions turns out, and what we do." - Charles Schulz, Charles M. Schulz: Conversations, p. 103

In this corner, weighing in at 38.5 picas, 600 dpi… the "Velum Felon," the "Graphite Grappler", the "Sequential Strangler"… from a lonely, quiet studio apartment… ART!

And in this corner, weighing in at 21 grams… the "Capitalist Decapitator," the "Free Market Mangler"… the invisible hand clenched into a fist… here to blow his opponent to Adam Smithereens… COMMERCE!

I once heard a marketing expert describe the concept of a "brand" as something that allows a consumer to not have to think; meaning that when you walk into a store and see your preferred brand of, say, jeans, you already know that those particular jeans are going to meet a certain level of quality and provide a level of satisfaction at a certain price that you prefer over other jeans. It's trust, but it's also faith that your chosen brand will continue to meet your expectations, and mitigates the feeling of risk a consumer might otherwise feel when faced with endless choices. If everything goes as hoped, the nouns "trust" and "faith" become verbs as you engage with your brand and toss a wad of sweaty dollar bills on the counter to complete the transaction. Step 3: new jeans!

Peanuts has been a powerful brand for decades, rooted in something shared freely that asks nothing in return save for the attention necessary to finish reading a comic strip or enjoying a holiday special. The cast pops up regularly on all manner of products, but actual endorsements are rare and handled with the same gentle touch that makes the strip so special to so many fans. Sure, insurance companies are boring on their best days, but Snoopy buddying up to the MetLife logo doesn't serve to twist anyone's arm, it's more like, "Hey, look. There's Snoopy. Also insurance. I wonder what that does?" And what dirigible in our modern world is more gentle than a blimp-- a hot air balloon? Please. Those things are navigated mainly by luck and powered by scary fire. Blimps are like friendly manatees in the sky!

It's an honest, approachable brand created by a kind, decent man. Every single professional cartoonist I've ever known or heard speak has a story about "Sparky" (and they all call him "Sparky"-- all of them, without exception) offering advice, guidance and inspiration. If one considers how much these interactions impacted each cartoonist, and how their work improved as a result, that means that Charles Schulz is the most influential figure in the history of illustration by an unfathomable margin.

Thus, brand preservation is paramount-- not just for continued viability and revenue, but because Peanuts is the rare property which forged a lasting, personal bond with its audience day by day for decades. It's a force of good.

Long ago, we lived a world where consumers expected far less from their licensed products. As a result, a brand could withstand associations with cheaply made/ dangerous/ unpleasant wares. After some intitial hiccups (see below) Peanuts learned to be more discerning at a slightly faster rate than the general public, narrowly escaping the fate of, say, Garfield (though if anyone asks, I didn't say Garfield, okay?), but not before a few landfills' worth of products filtered into and out of stores.

To be clear, the following products are not a case of Peanuts betraying the public's trust, they're examples of products betraying Peanuts' trust. The jerks.

A noble aim, to be sure (the covers boast "2500 words defined"), but A) A dictionary's appeal is centered entirely in its utility, B) I don't believe children have strong feelings either way about dictionaries, C) Assuming a child did object to having words defined, a kid-friendly variation isn't going to win him over and D) The best they could come up with for the cover of "A" was Charlie Brown holding an apple in his baseball mitt?

Charlie Brown's Encyclopedia of Energy:

An example of something that really can benefit from the addition of Peanuts characters to improve appeal to children, so long as one doesn't question why in the world a kid needs a whole book about solar power and the versatility of propane:

Upon first seeing this, I thought, "Oh, that's for doctors to show to kids before their first spinal taps, so the process isn't as scary for them, like that time I got all those immunization shots from that clown." Then I thought, "I don't remember seeing any framed diplomas in that clown's office," then I thought, "And it wasn't so much an 'office' as much as it was an 'alley.'" I have some calls to make.

Marketing Exec 1: Gotta get the art for this year's batch of mugs to the printer by tomorrow. Here's what we have so far: one mug featuring Snoopy, and one featuring cherry pie.Marketing Exec 2: Listen, I was running the numbers, and we're going to have to cut our budget in half-- our customers' mug budgets have really suffered thanks to the gas crisis. Marketing Exec 1: [shakes fist at sky] OPEC!!!!Marketing Exec 2: There's time for that later, Phil. Right now, we need solutions. Marketing Exec 1: I've got it! Put Snoopy on the mug with cherry pie!Marketing Exec 2: You're mad! Has Snoopy ever indicated a preference for cherry pie?Marketing Exec 1: He's never come out against it, I know that much. Marketing Exec 2: Good enough for me. [High fives all around]

I realize that a lot of this has to do with the crime scene-like photography and poor condition of the product, but this costume chilled me to my core. Also, I'm pretty sure that Charlie Brown's outfit wasn't a shirt with a photo of himself on it-- early tests proved that the recursive nature of Charlie wearing Charlie wearing Charlie could cause a black hole, if the printer used an unstable enough paper stock.

Whew! We've accomplished a lot today. Next week: Actual, substantive discussion of art versus commerce, as well as a flowchart that will guide you through the steps to acquiring a Snoopy mascot for your event or party. Really. That's a thing.

Well you've cured my interest in the marketing team going to the children's hospital dressed as Peanuts characters. As far as that Charlie & Lucy get-up I'm fixated on the one body, two head aspect. No comment on the terrifying Lucy Costume. That Flame "Retarded" costume clearly debuted before the days of political correctness. See Yo Gabba Gabba.